


A Heart Under Lock and Key

by CheckersXIV



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Pirate, Amnesia, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, M/M, Memories, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:31:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheckersXIV/pseuds/CheckersXIV
Summary: The world is falling apart. The merfolk are disappearing at an alarming rate, distancing themselves from humans. Various island kingdoms are withdrawing into themselves to protect their own people. Pirates terrorize the Starry Seas with stolen magics and motives that at unclear. But none of that really matters to Riku. His world fell apart when Sora vanished from it. Left with memories of now broken promises, Riku makes a path to finish those wishes himself. Alone.Until the path is no longer beneath his feet, and Riku learns that some promises are never truly broken. Just forgotten._AKA: The Soriku Pirate AU of the Kingdom Hearts series with some twists and turns.





	1. Night of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wasn't gonna post this until I had written half of this story, but here we are. Major shout out to my beautiful betas, and my beloved friends I made in the kh fandom. Without all of your support, guidance, encouragements, and suggestions this fic would not have come to fruition. In true kingdom hearts fashion: My friends are my power. Enjoy.

_C’mon, Sora!_

_I’m coming, Riku!_

_Hurry, it’s starting!_

_..._

_Ooo! Look at all the shooting stars!_

_Meteors._

_Same thing!_

_...._

_Hey, Riku?_

_Yeah?_

_Do wishes on shooting stars really come true?_

_Mmm. I heard only if you don’t tell them until after it comes true._

_Oh..._

_Why?_

_Can’t tell you!_

_Hmmmm, well I can tell you one thing I know I don’t need to wish for._

_What’s that, Riku?_

_That we will always be together._

_Aha! Of course we will!_

.....................

_One day, I’m gonna be the pirate king!_

_What? But the pirates are evil, Sora. You want to be the bad guy?_

_N-no._

_Well, I’m gonna be the good guy, the hero!_

_Now you’re being silly, Riku!_

_No, I’m not! Just you watch, I’m gonna join the navy and stop the bad guys._

_YOU'RE GONNA BE NAVY CAPTAIN!_

_Y-Yeah. Yeah, you know what? I am!_

_Okay. Then I’ll join you!_

_Really?!_

_Yeah, you’re my best friend. We’ll go together!_

_It’s a promise!_

_Okay!_

.....................

_I’ll win one day!_

_Ha, sure Sora._

—— 1 week later ——

_Riku, sweetheart. I have... I have to talk to you._

_Mom?_

_Do you remember, the other night? The one with the big storm?_

_Yes?_

_Sora... he... no one has seen him since then._

_Wha.. what do you mean?_

_Sweetheart, his dad found the family’s raft on the play island. But Sora..._

_Where’s Sora? Mom? Mom please, where’s Sora? MOM?_

_He... oh, Riku I’m so sorry._

—— 10 years later ——

“This is a momentous occasion for you, Riku. One that I would expect you would truly pay attention to.” 

Despite the stern words, the fleet admiral known to all as Ansem the Wise is smiling at the young man standing before him in the well-decorated office. It’s a circular room, only one door in or out, with a vast window overlooking the majority of the headquarters for the Hollow Bastion Navy. The walls behind the crescent desk in the room are orderly covered by various maps of the Starry Seas. Each one depicts sailing routes and bases for the navy and its patrols between the continents that littered the expanse of the sea. Beneath it are shelves, full of books of science and journals of research that Ansem was more popularly known for. His research in medicine contradicting his station as the strongest man in the navy.

“Apologies, sir. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

Ansem stands up from his seat. “I imagine that you were thinking of your dear friend, Sora?”

Riku casts his gaze down. His posture, already rigid, tenses even more. “...Yes, sir.”

“I’m quite certain,” Ansem makes his way around the desk, “that from what you have told me of him, he would be beside himself with joy for his dear friend, if not a bit jealous of you, Riku. You did say that it had been a dream the two of you shared, to become navy captains.”

“That is correct, sir.”

“Come now, Riku. I have seen your dedication to this lofty goal for the past eight years since your enrollment in our fine armada. This is a joyous occasion for you. You know that I’m right when I say he would be quite proud of his dear friend.”

At that, a small smile graces Riku’s lips as he looks back to his mentor. “Thank you, sir.” A hand grips Riku’s shoulder for a moment before Ansem continues to walk past Riku, towards the large window overlooking the fleet docked in the harbor.

“It has been decided that you will be commanding the _K.K. Light_. She is an old model of a ship, most of the K.K. designations are, but reliable and ready for new blood. The crew consists of mostly old hands; it is up to you to look over their stations and jobs while abroad.”

“Of course, sir.”

Ansem turns around, this time holding a small pouch. “It was also decided that a man of your combat prowess and diligence will be awarded a Blessed Relic.”

Riku blinks. “Sir-”

“This medallion is a trinket that the lab has been tampering with for quite some time now. It allows the bearer to manipulate the shadows around them. It can potentially allow for a twenty-foot radius of instant night, that only the wearer can see through.” Ansem looks up from the medallion to Riku. “I do believe that you are the most capable one to utilize this at the moment, Riku.”

“Sir, this is an honor I never expected. Surely, there is someone of higher rank-”

He walks back towards Riku. “Presiding Admirals Leonhart, Strife, Braig, Aeleus, and Dilan all have their own Relics, as do their Vice Admirals. The power of darkness intimated the veteran captains up for consideration; while the others have yet to prove that they are worthy of the power of a Relic.”

He stops before him, “Riku. I say this not as your superior, but as your mentor. This is a mark for those who are only worthy of it. You, my boy, are ready.”

_

Riku eventually finds himself standing on an isolated pier in the bastion’s harbor after letting his feet guide him without much thought. The sun is setting late into twilight and the Destiny Islands are specks on the horizon. 

“I did it, Sora.” His voice is soft. “I became a captain in the Hollow Bastion Navy.”

The sound of the surf on the shore is gentle; it takes him back, a peal of gleeful laughter haunting his ears. 

Riku turns away from the setting sun and sees a figure standing at the entrance of the pier. He begins to walk back. The figure in the distance grows closer.

“What I find curious,” Ienzo begins, “is despite the fact that you don't particularly like to speak of home, is that if you’re not in your room, you are out on the pier like a widow waiting for her husband to return from war. Staring longingly-”

Riku passes right by him. Ienzo falls into line with his steps.

“Did you know that they would give me the darkness medal?”

“No, but it was already obvious from how much Ansem favors you. Are you ever going to tell me about your love/hate relationship with your home or not?”

“Not.”

They make their way through the maze of docks. Various ships are tied down, bobbing softly in the current. When they pass the destroyer class boats, Ienzo speaks again.

“Friends share their worries with each other, Riku.”

“If I was worried about anything, I’d tell you, like I always have.”

“And then I’d help you find the solution, of course.”

“I’d expect no less.”

Ienzo sighs and lets the conversation to be redirected. “Expectations already? Being a captain has already gone to your head.”

Riku rolls his eyes, “It’s not even dinner call. Why are you here, Ienzo?”

A gummitablet is presented to him. “I simply thought that you’d like to know everything I found while testing the medallion. Officially, that is.”

“And unofficially?”

“You already know that passcode.”

“Heh, fair enough.”

“Well, now!” Both men stop walking, looking up at the call coming from the bow of the ship they had been passing, the _R.G. Freeshooter_. Its commanding officer grins down at them. 

“If it isn’t the New Captain Kiddo and The One-Eyed Scientist! Off to celebrate the promotion?”

Riku salutes the admiral while Ienzo brushes his hair out of his face, decidedly ignoring him. “As I was saying, Riku-”

Braig reappears behind Ienzo, throwing his arm around him. “Hey now, that’s just disrespectful, short stuff.”

“That is an abuse of a relic, _Admiral_ , and my stature has nothing to do with-”

“Hey, let me treat you two to a drink! You know, celebrate the new title!”

Riku clears his throat. “That is kind of you to offer, but neither of us cares for alcohol.”

“That’s a shame,” a figure walks down from a ship on the opposing side of the dock. Riku and Ienzo immediately salute Admiral Leonhart as he waves off the formalities descending to sea level. 

“I had hoped to celebrate your new title, Riku,”

“T-thank you, sir-”

“Hey Squall, pay up,” Braig holds out his hand as Leon sighs, reaching into a side pocket of his white decorative admiral coat. The five stars representing his status glint on his shoulders as he moves.

“Stop calling me that, you pirate.”

“Now that’s just discrimination against eye patches, Squall.”

Leon grunts while slapping down the munny into the hand waiting for it. “Remind me to demote Yuffie to lavatory duties.”

Iezno looks between the two admirals. “May I ask what the wager was this time?”

Braig’s grin turns feral while Leon has the decency to look embarrassed. “I bet ol’ Squall here that Riku would make captain before either of you bothered to cut your luscious locks.”

Ienzo frowns. Riku can practically see the lecture swelling within him.

Leon begins walking off. “Come on, it’s almost dark, and we don’t know if Yuffie will eat us out of potatoes again.”

_

It’s a calm morning at sea, two weeks later, when it happens. 

His first assignment as Captain is to rendezvous with a benefactor of the Navy, and escort them to the main base for a routine inspection. The Hollow Bastion Navy is a joint military coalition, with funding provided by various kingdoms across the Starry Seas to ensure their trade routes safety from pillages. 

Riku had been a lieutenant when the king and queen of Arendelle had attempted the journey without an escort. They were meet by an untimely fate in the passage dubbed The Lanes Between. Since then, escorts were mandatory when visiting the main base.

Riku was to meet with the visiting royalty for Radiant Garden, Princess Kairi, and her ship the _S.S. Embrace_. All he knows of the princess is that she has red hair, and is beloved by the citizens in her kingdom. Everything was routine, nothing out of the ordinary.

He is anchored out at sea, aboard his ship, when he receives word from the helmsman that there is a direct call from the fleet admiral. He takes the call in his quarters.

The image comes through and immediately Riku knows something is wrong. Ansem is sitting at his desk, his expression dark. “There has been a change of plans in your honor guard escort for Princess Kairi’s tour of our facilities, Captain.”

Riku stands at attention as Ansem continues. 

“We received a mayday signal from her Radiant Garden vessel before we lost communication. They were besieged by unknown pirates. The _K.K. Light_ is the closest vessel we have to their last known location. Captain Riku, you are to find and rescue the Princess. That is an order.”

The call goes dead.

_

The crew is abuzz with energy as the crow’s nests spot an unknown ship several leagues in the distance from the empty location where the _S.S. Embrace_ was last reported to be. Timber derbies are littered among the waves. A crewmate points out playing cards scattered in the waves. No bodies are visible. Riku’s voice fills the air.

“All hands to the cannons! Full speed to intercept that ship!”

_

A gangplank is lowered with a thud as it hits the wooden deck of the opposing ship. The men hold it in place to keep it secure. The air is silent--tense. Riku crosses onto the ship marked _Fate's Gamble._ His men are standing at the ready, awaiting his signal. Not a soul is to move until he gives the order. 

A single man at the wheel of the ship is the only one visible on deck. His facial hair indicates his age, a goatee surrounding his mouth. There is a piercing in each ear, and a black bandana tied around his head. The man’s black coat is almost perfect; it’s at odds with Riku’s white captain’s jacket just hanging off his own shoulders. There are no patches or stitchings suggesting previous combat. 

Riku eyes him. “Are you the captain of this vessel?”

“Quite right. Captain Luxord at your service. To what do I owe the Navy’s pleasure?”

Riku looks around the empty deck. “We received word of a mayday from a vessel and came to investigate the matter.” He looks back to Luxord. “Have you seen anything? Signs of survivors?”

“Aye, sir, that I did. There was only one survivor of the wreckage, however.”

Riku looks back to Luxord, takes in his smirk and feels his heart clench. “I’m curious, Captain Luxord. Where is the rest of your crew?”

“They only appear when I need them, good sir.”

“And the survivor?”

“The princess is a bit incapacitated at the moment, Captain Riku.” Riku stiffens, hand flying to his sword’s hilt. “She is currently locked away, below the deck. But, that is not important right now. Rather than asking me questions about my crew, you should be a bit more concerned with yours, sir.”

Riku’s head whips back to look at his ship-- it’s barren.

The once full deck is now devoid of men. The ropes that were once held tight now flow in the wind. The gangplank slips and falls into the ocean's abyss. The only thing Riku hears is its crash into the waves and his own blood rushing.

“Interesting,” Luxord approaches him, engrossed in shuffling a deck of cards. “You seem to have a full deck, but it feels light.”

Riku draws his sword and levels it to the man’s chest as he comes to a stop before him. “Explain yourself.” His teeth are clenched, heart stuck in his throat. “What’s going on here? Where are my men?”

Luxord spares him a glance before continuing to inspect each card. “Did you not have a vice-captain, Captain Riku?”

Riku presses the tip of his sword harder to Luxord’s chest. “I said _explain_.”

“I am trying to, good sir, but worry not. Most of us in the Thirteenth Fleet also prefer to work alone.”

The name is familiar, but in his panic, Riku can’t place it. “Excuse me?”

Luxord drops the deck as the cards scatter onto the wood only to fly up and encircle the two men. Cards grow larger and Riku feels his arm fall back to his side as he tries to process just what he is seeing. It doesn’t make any sense.

The men of his crew, the ones he spent two weeks getting to know, are encased in a playing card now circling him in a rotating cylinder, blocking out the sun. Familiar faces all stare back at him, expressions of fear and shock. None of their images move.

Riku looks back to Luxord, properly afraid. “What-”

“Good help is hard to come by from most people, Captain Riku.” Luxord snaps his fingers, the cards shrink back down to a deck in his open palm. They disappear within his black coat pocket. “With humans to command, you have to worry about mutiny and such. It simply won’t do. A few among our number have, however, chosen to keep their vice captains with them.”

Luxord snaps his fingers. From the very wood beneath his feet, white jerking monsters appear at the ship's helm and all around the deck of the ship. 

Riku panics as one gets too close to him and tries to slash at it. His sword is harmlessly deflected from the creature’s skin. 

Luxord laughs as he walks back to towards wheel of the ship, “Captain Riku, though I cannot imagine why fate has dealt you a new hand. You have been selected to join us among the Thirteenth Fleet.”

The fear in Riku’s heart makes the connection for him. He remembers where he’s heard the name before and his heart plummets.

The Thirteenth Fleet is the Navy’s best-kept secret; they are its most formidable adversaries. The only organized group of pirates, responsible for the loss of many Naval ships. Each captain in the fleet said to be in command of a crew of mindless monsters while attacking only Navy training grounds and sanctioned islands. They have stolen countless relics and treasures and left many dead or missing in their attacks. Only the admirals of the Navy are strong enough to contest one.

Riku’s only just made captain--He’s fucked.

Riku hears a movement below him. 

He looks down through the metal grate on the ship deck to see a terrified face stare back at him: a young woman in a formal pink dress with a shock of red hair. She freezes, then she mouths his name and he feels himself twitch. The princess, she would have been informed of who he was.

Riku quickly looks up, Luxord’s back is still to him. He looks down and nods. Tears immediately come to her eyes. She whispers as loud as she can at him.

_“Please help me.”_

Right. Stay focused-- this isn’t just about him. He needs to get the two of them off this ship. He makes a shooing motion, as slight as he can with his free hand. She must get the message, as red disappears from below.

Luxord moves-- Riku swiftly looks up and speaks louder. 

“And why exactly is that, Captain Luxord?” 

“We are a select few who are simply seeking what life has deprived us of.”

“Such as?”

“Oh, many things. Riches, knowledge, medicine.” Luxord makes eye contact with Riku, “Secrets to Life and Death itself.”

“That’s horse shit.”

“Nay, it’s all fact. Though I understand your skepticism, having been there myself. However, you were recommended to us through a mutual benefactor. Which means you must have some interest in the magics lost to us, humans.”

“Recommended?”

“But of course.” His grin is sharp. After all, wouldn’t you love to be able to bring back your _dear friend_?”

Riku feels himself freeze. 

Suddenly he’s back in Ansem’s office, the words _dear friend_ filling his head any time the fleet admiral spoke of Sora. Ansem was the only man who referred to Sora as Riku’s dear friend. Luxord laughs as Riku slowly pieces together what's happening.

The relic was given to him on purpose. The old crew was on purpose. The personal call instead of the public Navy radio about the orders. He had been set up. But...

“Why? Why would the fleet admiral work with pirates? I don’t believe you!”

“It’s not my place to say,” The _Fate’s Gamble_ begins to move. “But you don’t have much time to decide, Riku. Just because you were recommended doesn’t mean we need you.” The ship he is on is now circling the _K.K. Light_. 

“I’d never work with pirates!”

Luxord shakes his head and snaps his fingers. “FIRE!”

Cannon fire pierces through the air as Riku hears rather than sees his ship take the damage. 

Then more cannon fire sounds off. 

Riku is helpless to watch his ship blown to smithereens. The old yellow vessel beings to sink. Luxord throws the deck of cards towards the sinking, now burning ship. They sail through the air like throwing knives right into the fire.

He’s all alone. 

“Last offer, boy.” Luxord waves a hand as the monsters begin to surround him again.

“You can burn in hell with my ship!”

He gets another sigh. “So, you’d rather join your friend in Davy Jones’-”

“SORA IS NOT DEAD.” 

Something inside Riku snaps. He dimly feels his white coat fly off his shoulders.

His sword is encased with a black fire as he lunges to the nearest monster with a yell of rage. It explodes on contact with the tip of his blade. Luxord’s shock only lasts until Riku makes it halfway across the deck to him before he lunges to attack him. Their swords met with a solid clash, the black fire dancing along Riku’s blade.

Luxord grins, the smile not meeting his eyes, “See, this is why I’m against giving relics early.” He leans into the strikes, shoving Riku back a distance before throwing another card that grows in size through the air at him. 

Riku raises his sword and unleashes a strike of dark magic from the blade with a swing downward. It cuts the card in half and keeps sailing through the air; forcing Luxord to dodge the darkness as it slams into one of the ship’s masts. The anger is much more clear on his face now.

“You shouldn’t be able to know how do that, boy!”

“And you should know when to quit!”

“I’ve been playing this game longer than you.” The monsters lunge at Riku from all sides; he tries to avoid any hits. Most evaporate on contact. He feels a blow to his side and one on his forearm. Riku makes quick work of two other monsters before he sees Luxord lunge for him again, sword outstretched.

Still flanked on either side, Riku jumps back a step before realizing his mistake. The medallion floats in the air for just a moment from around his neck. Then Luxord’s blade is slicing the necklace off of him.

The darkness disappears from his sword instantly. 

Riku tries to change direction and jump forward instead, only to be slammed into both sides by the creatures still flanking him. The sword is forced from his hand to the ground, the weight of the monsters bringing him to his knees on the grate below him. The medallion slips between the bars. Something pulls on his ponytail, forcing his head up as Luxord stands before him, breathing harshly.

The point of his sword is brought to his bare throat. Riku glares at him as best he can, trying to control his own labored breathing so the sword won’t pierce his skin. 

It’s quiet before Luxord chuckles, slowly lowering his blade. “Such a waste of talent.” He brings the blade out to his side. Riku knows the move. He means to behead him. 

“Tell your friend I said hello.”

Riku’s eyes slip closed. 

No point in watching. 

Maybe... maybe he really will see Sora. He never gave up looking, he knew that he could find him again. He’s dreamed for years of that laughter, of holding his hand and racing down the shore. Of mock sword fights, building a raft, and looking at the stars. Wishing. Hoping he could see Sora again.

That would be nice--

The wood of the ship creaks for a moment before there is a resounding crash. The ship lurches and everything but Riku is sent flying. 

Luxord skids and slams into the ship’s railing on Riku’s right. The monsters struggle to keep their grip on Riku. On his left, a chunk of the vessel is now missing. Multiple translucent hexagons are slowly becoming visible, shimmering in the air revealing a ship as black as night concealed within. 

Riku doesn’t waste time throwing the distracted monsters off of him. Luxord struggles to his feet as two people jump from the deck of the black ship onto the slowly sinking Gambler. A woman with short blue hair wielding a trident lets out a fierce yell, intent to kill written on her face. Her weapon is meet with a card hastily thrown by Luxord. Ice erupts from the tip of the weapon, shattering the card.

The other figure, a younger woman with shaggy short black hair looks right at Riku. The blue haired one is flung back by three cards at once. The young woman immediately turns away from him, to her comrade, arms extended. A jet of water appears, elongating her arm, and encasing it. She catches the other mid-air, throwing her right back at Luxord. It dissolves into a fight between three of them, water and ice flying through the air, gigantic cards being dissipated seconds after being summoned.

Riku chooses to disregard the fight. He runs for his sword then runs back for the grate, slamming the blade down into it to try and pry it up. The wood groans and he hears several alarming cracking sounds. The ship is rapidly beginning to sink. The grating pops up as the ship lurches more to the left. He grabs it and throws the damn thing open. 

“Your Highness!” It takes a moment but the woman appears again, covered in timber dust but no less worse for wear. A piece of lumber goes flying over Riku’s head. He glances over his shoulder to see the girl with the black hair go flying this time. Riku winces as she hits the deck with a skid. The princess slips with a shriek as the boat lurches again. He leans down, partially into the grate; using one arm to support himself and reaching out with the other. 

“Grab my hand!”

He doesn’t have to repeat himself. She immediately moves towards him, jumping to catch his hand. Riku gets a grip on her forearm and she swings in the air for a second. Then he pulls her up hard and fast onto the deck. There’s cracking sounds from below, Riku hears the telltale signs of rushing water accompanying it. The ship lurches further into the ocean.

Riku looks back in time to see Luxord get run through with the trident encased in ice.

The young woman with short black hair is standing now. She points one hand to the deck and another to the black ship, now slowly backing away. Water forms again. It creates a bridge of shifting of water, an escape route, from the doomed one they’re on.

Kairi tightens her grip on Riku, and they exchange a look. 

She takes a shaky breath. “Come on,” she says and tugs him with her to the one with black hair.

The woman manipulating the water pays them no mind as they run past her on to the other ship. Instead, she yells at the other one, still lingering over Luxord. “Aqua, we need to go!” 

Riku collapses the moment his feet hit a sturdy deck again. The burn from the use of magic he is unfamiliar with now catching up with him. The adrenaline is wearing off, the blows he took from those monsters ache on his limbs. Kairi falls right beside him, also breathing hard. The two women appear moments after.

The ship is surrounded by hexagons once more as it begins to sail away, despite the sails themselves staying flat. Riku has a moment to think about the mess he has gotten into before gleeful laughter hits his ears.

Familiar laughter.

His heart-- his breathing--stops for a moment before he looks up, up the staircase of the ship to the wheel of it. 

A man with a contagious smile is behind the wheel. There is dirt of his nose and cheek, a blue bandana tied around his hair. A silver crown necklace glints in the V of his shirt. His skin is sun-kissed with an array of freckles and hair standing stiff with the sea salt in the air. He laughs again and Riku wonders if he really did die. 

Because there he is. It’s Sora.


	2. Scherzo Di Notte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Kairi and Riku have more questions than answers and Riku is forced to pick a side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things: 1. Milk and Honey is the underdog of decaffeinated warm drinks. 2. There is no such thing as too much Kombucha.
> 
> Also, beware of scurvy kids. Did you know more people died at sea from a disease rather than violence back in the day?

Sora begins laughing as he steers the ship away from the wreckage of what used to be one of the most feared pirate ships in the Starry Seas. 

He shouts to the sky, “I love it when things go our way!”

Riku’s voice gets caught in his throat. He just stares. Kairi says something to him, but he doesn’t hear it. The other two women are inspecting him but he doesn’t notice. Riku just sees Sora, and he can’t believe it.

Then he can’t help himself. “Sora?”

Sora is still smiling as he looks at Riku, and then he grins. Riku feels like crying. 

Sora looks away.

“See, I told you I was getting more popular thanks to my bounty, Xion!”

The black haired girl makes her way over to Kairi and Riku, holding a few bandages and a vial. She laughs softly. “You don’t have a bounty yet, Capt’n.” 

“But he knows me!”

“Yes,” the other woman, Aqua, walks over to them as well as Sora leaves the wheel. “Our intent was just to save the princess. Which begs the question: Who are you?”

Riku doesn’t hear her, he’s still staring at Sora.

Kairi answers, “He’s my guard! We were supposed to meet before I was ambushed. Please, he’s with me!”

Aqua narrows her eyes. “He’s in Navy dress code.”

“It’s a formality! He was away on training. Please, please don’t hurt him.” 

Xion holds both her hands up in the air, still grasping the items as she squats down beside Kairi. Kairi is able to see that the vial is a disinfectant. She looks at Xion, who smiles again. “I promise you we will not hurt you or your guard, Your Highness. You are safe with us.”

Kairi relaxes for a moment when Riku speaks again.

“Sora?”

Sora blinks, “Yes?”

“Sora,” a desperate edge creeps into his voice. “Sora, it’s me. It’s Riku”

He takes a step back as Riku shakily stands up. “Okay, sure?” Sora’s smile wanes. “You’re Riku.”

Aqua stands closer to Sora, still holding her trident, eyes narrowing. Sora holds an arm out and she stays in place. Riku sees a scar on the back of his hand.

Riku takes a shaky breath. “I thought, I thought you were gone.” His eyes burn, “You’re... you're here, you’re ok-” Riku takes a step forward and Sora takes a step back.

Riku stops.

It’s quiet. No one says anything. Kairi gives Riku nervous glances, her eyes flitting from him to Sora. Xion is doing the same, but with a curious look instead. Aqua’s eyes have not strayed from Riku, her posture tense and alert.

Riku takes in Sora- there’s an edge to his eye. A wary uncertainty, the type that comes from dealing with strangers. His hand had drifted to the sword at his hip- a real one, one very different from the wooden ones they had always played with together. This person sees him as a potential threat. The fourteen-year-old boy from his past is not the man who is standing before him. His head feels a little warm. 

Riku thinks back on Sora’s words. His heart aches- he hears his own voice ask “...You, you don’t remember me?”

Sora rubs the back of his head with the hand not placed on the hilt of his sword. 

“Um, should I?” 

It’s quiet again. Everything starts to tilt. 

Sora’s eyes widen a bit. 

He hears Kairi shriek, “RIKU!”

It’s black.

_

Riku knows he’s dreaming because he’d never allowed his conscious thoughts to go through everything again. He’d stop them like he always has, it’s too painful to think about.

It’s always in his dreams that he’s forced to relive losing Sora.

He’s fifteen again, alone, on the island they used to play. He feels numb and can’t help but stare. It’s a mess after the storm hit. Some planks of wood are missing from just about every structure. There’s a rope swinging in the breeze near the tree house. Palm leaves are scattered around the shore. There’s a large downed tree branch in the freshwater pool closer to the cliff face. 

Riku is dimly aware he shouldn’t be here. The adults had asked them all not to go off by themselves. They said it was because the island was damaged. That was just part of it, though. It was mostly to make sure that no other kids vanished into thin air. 

Well, he’s just looking. He’s not sure for what. A sign that Sora was still there. Maybe he was just sleeping somewhere on the island, and that’s why no one was able to find him. It’s happened before.

The paopu tree sits in isolation on its own island. He looks away from it. He starts to yell for Sora.

Riku feels his feet carry him as he makes his way to check the tree house. He remembers hopping over missing planks on the walkway. He leaps up a missing step and makes his way to the entryway. He calls to Sora. It’s empty. 

He remembers making his way through the rest of the sea shoreline methodically. Seeing nothing but the storm’s wreckage. 

Then Riku makes his way through the shack to the cove.

He blinks and just sees a sandy cove with the watchtower with the zip line off in the distance. The entirety of the broken bridge he and Sora used to race on is gone. There are lingering pieces of wood on the ground and in the shallows in front of him. But that’s it. It’s as if the rest of the platforms had been smashed beyond repair. He calls out for Sora again.

Riku remembers jumping down into the surf to make it around the bend to the smaller cove where the raft had been.

It’s not there. It wasn’t where he last saw it at least. The raft that he and Sora had been working on was moved. It was now farther up the hill, sitting near the treetops as if it was dragged there.

Riku remembers running to it, yelling for Sora and seeing nothing. Then through the tree canopy, something shines in his face. Something metal is sitting on the ground. He remembers sprinting back down the hill, as though if he took too long it would disappear. 

He remembers that he froze beneath the trees. He remembers his heart stopping at the sight of Sora’s torn glove sitting there in the sand, sunlight hitting the metal on top. With dried flecks of blood stuck around the tear in the fabric.

The dream blurs after that like it usually does.

He vaguely remembers frantically looking for anything and finding nothing. A feeling of dread in his heart. There’s a pressure in his chest--he can't breathe--he yells. Only the sound of the soft surf answers his increasingly frantic calls. Screaming his throat raw, his tears blurring his vision as he tries desperately to look for his best friend. 

Just like in his memory, Riku never finds Sora in the dream. 

_

The dream is scattered from his mind once Riku slowly comes around. There is a wet cloth on his forehead head and his arms ache as though he faced off with Admiral Strife for training. 

Then everything comes rushing back to him.

His eyes fly open and he feels himself snap up into a sitting position. A surprised yelp catches his attention and he looks to his left. The princess, Kairi, is sitting on a stool next to his side, eyes wide, with a started expression on her face. She tries to give him a kind smile but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

He remembers the two of them running-- _his ship is gone_ \--getting on the another ship-- _the relic is gone_ \-- the two other women-- _Luxord is dead_ \--this was supposed to be a rescue mission-- _his crew is dead_ \-- he was supposed to be a captain of the navy-- _everything is gone_ \--he doesn’t know where he is, the captain of this ship-- _Sora_.

He blinks, “Sora.”

Kairi’s smile fades. Riku realizes he’s freaking out. He can’t freak out. He needs to stay calm. He forces his thoughts to be quiet. 

“Do you,” the princess starts, “by chance know the captain of this ship?”

He stares at her. “I thought I did.” She frowns and he wants to kick himself.

They’re quiet for a moment before she speaks again, “I informed the pirate crew here that you are my guard.” Riku just stares at her, she clears her throat. “That you were to rendezvous with me after completing some naval training.”

In the back of Riku’s head his brain pieces together that right, of course, pirates. Pirates hate the navy they would probably kill him if they thought he was with the navy. The princess saved his life.

The one he was supposed to have saved had saved him instead.

He looks back at her, an apology for failing her dying on his lips. Riku has never been one for physical contact. He prefers his space above all else. But there is something about the princess that removes his hesitation. She looks physically frail, her hair still frayed here and there out of what used to be an updo. Her pink gown has stains on it, probably from dirt and water. One of her off shoulder short sleeves is torn. It looks like there used to be an intricate pattern of beaded stars on the dress, stray strings showing a good number of beads had been lost. Yet, her expression remains strong. She was kidnapped by pirates, and unlike most nobility Riku had gotten to know, kept her wits about her. 

It was only her eyes that let him know just how scared she was. He knew the feeling.

Riku reaches out, places his hand over hers in her lap. “Thank you for straightening that out, Your Highness.” He feels tired, like the events of the past day have aged him for several years. He still offers her a smile. She smiles back; it reaches her eyes this time. He sees her relax, just a bit.

“You are my guard. Please, simply Kairi is fine.”

“Very well, Kairi.” 

She places both of her hands around his now, clasping it. “I’m not sure what exactly is going on.” Something cold and round presses into his palm. “I was able to remove myself from the cell on the last pirate ship. Yet here we are, being treated as guests on another.” She looks him in the eye, “I trust that no matter what, you will stay by my side.”

She lets go of his hands and he pulls his arm back to see the medallion relic sitting in his palm. 

“Maybe a shorter chain next time, Riku?” Her voice is teasing and Riku’s shock must show on his face because she laughs. 

Right, the medallion had fallen through the grating. Where the princess had been hiding. He feels some of his own tension leave his shoulders. He now has a fighting chance against these pirates if it comes down to it. Yet, he can’t help himself.

“You hardly know me, Kairi. Why not keep it for yourself?”

She looks at him. “You came back for me.”

“Of course I did.”

Her laugh is bitter now; it catches him off guard. “Riku, loyalty and bravery are just words people use to describe the idea of a protector. Most of the time, the people who fall into that category are anything but the ideal.” Kairi looks down at her lap. “You hardly know me, but put yourself a position to save my life at the risk of your own.” She looks back up at him. “I may not know you, but I know a good heart when I see one. I trust you.”

Riku feels vulnerable. He can’t remember the last time someone's words moved him as much. Maybe it’s the stress of just about everything, but he can’t help the way his eyes tear up or the small laugh that escapes his lips. 

“I won’t betray that trust, Your Highness.”

“Kairi.”

“Right. Kairi.” They share a smile.

There’s a quick knock as the door to the room opens. Riku slips the medallion down the sleeve of his dress shirt. The black-haired woman, Xion, walks in balancing a bowl with some steam coming out of it. 

“Oh, you’re up.” Her voice is softer than Riku remembers.

He gets a better look at her now that he isn’t preoccupied with survival. She wears a black, three buttoned, double pocket vest over a white long sleeve that has been rolled up to her forearms. Dark trousers that have been tucked into her own boots. A purple sash is tied around her waist. Riku doesn’t spy a weapon on her, but then he remembers the water moving to her whims so he doubts that she really needs one.

Kairi nods to her. “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

Xion shrugs. “It’s no problem. This was a rescue mission, after all. Just got a little more back than what we bargained for.”

She looks at Riku. “How are you feeling?”

Riku opens his mouth to respond, but his stomach beats him to it. A gurgle echos in the cabin room. Xion laughs while Kairi is polite enough to hide her smile behind her hand.

“Hungry, I guess.”

“Good thing I brought some soup, then. Hope you don't mind meat and potatoes.”

Riku sits up a bit straighter. “That sounds heavenly.”

Xion makes her over to him, and really- Riku knows damn well he shouldn’t trust a pirate. But at this point, he is in no condition to provoke any fights. If he can let them think that he is complicit and weak, perhaps form a temporary alliance, then everything will be fine. Maybe they can drop Kairi and him off at a port so the navy could--no.

The mission had been compromised. The fleet admiral had given Riku up to the pirates himself. Regrouping to the Navy is not an option. 

He accepts the bowl from Xion as she sits down on the foot of the bed. 

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I introduced myself to either of you. Well, I don’t think any of us did.” Riku takes a sip of broth, its warmth spreading through him. “My name is Xion, I’m this ship’s navigator. If you ever want to find me, I’m usually at the crow’s nest above deck. The older woman is Aqua, she’s my mentor and the vice-captain here on _Oblivion_ -”

“ _Oblivion_?” Kairi interrupts.

Xion laughs. “I know, it’s a weird name for a ship. But the Cap'n is too lazy to repaint the name on the side.”

Riku blinks and stops chewing his second bite. Xion looks over at him. “And you already know the Cap'n.”

He swallows the food. It buys him a moment to think. Well, he’s always been a terrible liar. “I did. Sora and I grew up together.”

Xion looks away. “Huh.”

Riku doesn’t feel like eating anymore. But he’s still curious, “How long has he been, um, captain?”

He gets a shrug, “As long as he’s had _Oblivion_ , I ’spose. He was a cap’n when I joined on the crew.”

Kairi clears her throat with a dainty “ahem” before she speaks again. “When you say crew, do you mean there are others on this ship?”

“Not on this one, no. We’ve got two ships, you see. Now that we have saved you, we need to make sure the others managed to complete their goal too. We are on course to meet them right now. You’ll meet them soon enough.”

Kairi blinks. “So-”

“Your Highness, if you left our protection right now, the Thirteenth Fleet would only come from you again.” Kairi pales a little. “You’re safest with us, so you and your guard will stay with us.”

Xion stands up, walking for the door. “Besides, we all know how to deal with the Thirteen.” 

Kairi quickly stands as well. “Wait, please. Do you know why they want me?”

Xion pauses at the door, pursing her lips. “We have a hunch. I think Aqua would be better to explain it to you.”

“Not you?”

“No, not me.”

Riku’s grip tightens around the bowl. “You just killed one of their number. They’ll want revenge.”

Xion turns away. “He isn’t the first one we’ve killed.” Riku feels himself hesitate. 

Then she leaves.

_

Xion’s visit leaves the two of them a little rattled.

Kairi eventually gathers herself first. It’s becoming a trend in their relationship. She fills Riku in on a few more details as he forces himself to eat his fill.

His collapse had happened out of nowhere, but Kairi herself had caught him before he collided with the deck. Riku thanks her and she waves it off, continuing to recount what had happened from there. That the captain, Sora, and Aqua had retreated from the deck not long after he had fainted. Xion had picked Riku’s body up and carried him below to the room they were currently in. She had explained to Kairi that Riku had likely passed out due to overexertion.

It was early evening by the time he had woken up. The two of them would be sharing the cabin with the rest of the crew. The captain had gone to his cabin and had not left it as far as Kairi was aware. 

Even though he has only just woken up, with a full stomach, Riku can already feel himself nodding off as Kairi continues to speak to him. She quickly catches on, making the suggestion that they both go to sleep. 

Once Riku actually looks around the room they’re in, he notices an issue. There are three cloth hammocks strung up around the cabin. But he is in the only bed. And Riku is not making the princess of Radiant Garden sleep in a hammock. 

Only, Kairi keeps brushing off Rikus attempts to give her the bed, even though she clearly has no idea how to get into the hammock she’s now standing in front of.

“Kairi, please--”

“You fainted, you’re keeping the bed.”

Riku gets up, out of the sheets. “I’m doing much better now.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Your Hi-- Kairi,”

She marches back over to him, lips pursed and slight irritation on her face. Kairi comes to a stop right in his personal space, making Riku feel very uncomfortable. She grabs his right shoulder, and he lets her turn him back around to face the bed; pushing him back down to it. 

“You will stay. Right. Here.” Her tone leaves no room for argument.

Kairi doesn’t stop standing over him until Riku obliges just to get her to calm down. Once he is back under the blanket, she nods, irritation vanishing without a trace. She then makes her way over to a hammock and, after a slight struggle, gets herself into it. 

It looks a little uncomfortable in the dress, and she sits in it as it swings slightly while the boat rocks in the waves of the ocean. After a moment she has this little delighted look on her face and a giggle slips out. “You know,” her voice is soft like she is confiding a secret. “I have always wanted to sleep on one of these.” A small smile of glee on graces her and Riku can’t help his own smile that he shares. She lays down in the cloth, disappearing from view.

Riku can hear her breathing slow and deepen not long after.

He’s not surprised. It had been a long day. His limbs still ache, even though he has rested physically, he still feels emotionally exhausted. His world has been turned upside down in the past 24 hours. His mentor, the fleet admiral, gave Riku up to a band of pirates. Riku had been saved by another band of pirates. And now Sora was back.

He really wants to see Sora, question Xion about how they took out other members of the Thirteenth Fleet ask to go home. Maybe talk with Sora about how he had forgotten Riku when Sora was all Riku could think about for the past ten years. Ask Sora if he remembered their promise, if he remembers his parents, or if he remembers the islands. Ask how he could end up in the role of a bad guy, a pirate; if he had ever killed anyone, hell, if he had ever stolen from civilians. How Sora had left the islands; if he had left willingly. If he had wanted to leave the islands bad enough to leave Riku behind. 

Sora is so close, but he feels further away than ever to him.

Riku decides he doesn’t want to think anymore. He empties his head and waits for sleep to take him too. It takes a while longer for the pain in his heart to go numb.

_

Riku wakes up before the princess; he knows this because he can hear snoring in the hammock she had climbed into last night. There's also a foot sticking out of it too.

After a quick glance around shows that no one else is in the room, Riku decides to let Kairi rest a while longer and gets himself up and out of bed. Something rolls out of the sleeve of his white blouse. The black metal of the medallion shimmers faintly against the bed sheets. 

Riku curses himself forgetting about something so important, before quickly pocketing it. He’ll have to think of a better way to keep it on hand. He stands up, and quickly asses that his sword is gone. His boots were left at the foot of the bed, with his belt and waistcoat placed on top of them. After going through the motions of getting dressed, he bends over to tuck in the pant legs into his boots when his hair slips into his face blocking his view. 

Riku does another glance around for his hair tie and doesn’t find it. He sighs, feeling vaguely inconvenienced, and does his best to smooth out the knots by hand. As quiet he can, Riku makes his way to the door of the room and carefully slips out of it to the empty hall. There are two doorways on the left and right further down the hall and a staircase to go up to the deck, faint light drifting through the doorway there. On the other end of the hall, there is a single door that sits in front of a stairway that would probably lead down to the cargo hold.

He slowly closes the door, using both hands to ensure it won’t make too much noise. Kairi’s snores say she won’t wake up willingly anytime soon. 

There's a soft click once he lets go of the handle and he lets out of breath. Honestly, he feels like a kid trying to creep past his sleeping parent’s room. 

Riku turns around- Aqua is there a few feet from him. He blames his nerves for the flinch. She looks him over, scrutinizing him. 

He clears his throat. “Good morning.”

She nods to him and continues to stare. 

He notices that she has chosen to not wear a vest as Xion had. Aqua wears a white, loose pirate blouse with a deep v neck that’s tied off at her waist with a light blue sash. There are interchanging rose gold and silver bangles on her wrists. He sees a glint of earrings in the light as well. Like Xion, her breeches are tucked into her heeled boots.

Aqua isn’t holding her trident, but she definitely doesn’t look as friendly as Xion had the day before, if you could even call _vaguely intimidating_ friendly. Her presence alone makes him feel some sort of pressure. He did see Aqua murder a man in cold blood yesterday, that might have something to do with the spike in his nerves.

They stand there for a moment longer. Riku is not really sure of what to say, so his sleep clogged brain picks something for him.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a spare hair ribbon, would you?” He can feel himself starting to sweat.

“My hair is short.” Her gaze is flat.

He’s an idiot.

“Right, um, never mind then-”

“Follow me.” She turns around and starts walking off. Riku is left standing there for a second before he quickly falls into line behind her. 

She leads him down the hall to an isolated room, what he assumes to be the ship’s galley. A lime tree sits under a left port window, soft rays of early morning light coming through it. Small fairy fires hang around the roof of the room, providing more light. An iron stove sits along the back of the room, with a kettle heating on top of it. Copper pots and pans are hanging from hooks, swaying with the ship above a countertop and some cabinets to the left of the stove. There are a few crates shoved into the corners on the right side of the room. It looks like a fridge is somewhere in there too. In the middle of the room is a long wooden table, flanked by two benches, big enough for a good-sized crowd to sit around. Sitting on the table is a black ribbon, his hair tie, and along with a box filled with some needles and thread. 

Aqua gestures to it. “The Princess was fixing up it after you fainted.”

Riku ignores the jab. “I’ll have to thank her when she wakes up again.”

“Hm.” The kettle whistles and she makes her way to the stove to turn off the fire.

“Would you like a hand with anything?” He’s not sure why he offers.

“No, that’s alright. Please, have a seat.”

Riku resigns himself to a conversation and sits. He combs his hair back with his hands and then reaches for the ribbon. Aqua grabs two cups from the lower cabinets and fills them with the steaming liquid. She sits across from him, setting a cup in front of him as he finishes tying back his hair.

“Thank you.”

“It’s pine needle tea, from the Kingdom of Arendelle.”

She takes a sip, and after breath to cool it, he follows in suit. It has a surprising citrusy taste to it.

“Hm,” he feels like he should say something to contribute to this conversation. “I like the lemon added to it. It’s a nice flavor.”

“There is no lemon,” She smiles but it’s faint. “The pine needles contain the same vitamins as citrus. I’m not fond of sour tastes, but it would be silly to die of scurvy out at sea. This tea with honey makes up for that.”

Riku blinks. “I wasn’t aware that was a good trade for limes.”

“Yes, well.” She snaps her fingers and suddenly his body goes rigid. 

Riku can’t move. 

“They don’t teach you that at Hollow Bastion.” She raises an eyebrow at him. “Do they?”

“Not that I recall,” comes out of his mouth, and Riku can feel his panic rising. 

“So, let’s refresh. Who are you?” Riku can feel his mouth moving, and he can't _stop_ himself from responding. “Captain Riku of the Hallow Bastion Navy. I’m twenty-six years old.”

She takes a sip of her tea, “Hmm, at your age that’s impressive.” She doesn’t look very impressed. He needs to put a stop this.

“What do you know of merfolk?”

“They’re going missing.” It’s like he’s compelled to tell the truth.

“Why were you on the _Gambler_?”

“To save the princess.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. That was my mission.” Because that’s the truth. His only reason for being on that ship was to save Kairi. That stupid recruitment was never gonna happen, she doesn’t need to know that.

“What do you think about Ansem the Wise?” He just needs to tell her when he knows is true. Not all of it.

“I’m not sure.” Her eyes narrow. _There we go._

“Why? Why are you not sure?”

“I don’t want to tell a pirate.” He’ll tell her the truth, but not what she wants to hear. 

She pursues her lips. “I don’t trust you.”

“I can relate.” She scowls now. 

“The Navy can’t be trusted.” He’s beginning to feel irritated.

“Neither can pillagers.”

“What made you join the Navy, Riku?”

“Sora.”

Her eyes snap up to him. “Sora? Why?”

“We made a promise to be captains together.” Riku tries his hardest to keep the words to himself.

She sets down her cup, “So you really were friends?”

“Yes,” he spits.

“Where are you from?”

“Destiny Islands.” She looks pensive, before shaking her head. He needs to stop this.

“How long have you been looking for him?”

“Since the day he vanished.”

Something inside of Riku snaps again. He’s getting really tired of people trying to exploit his emotions. It hurts--it just keeps happening. Aqua blinks, she looks surprised for a moment, then she just looks sad. Lonely. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Are you?” he snaps.

“Yes.” She sounds exhausted and looks away from him. “This was uncalled for. And rather callous. This--this whole thing was unnecessary.”

“Why is that?”

“Your eyes can’t lie.”

“I could have told you that.”

Her laugh is hollow and short. “Would you?”

“Maybe. Before this.”

It’s quiet, the ship continues to rock for a moment. Riku feels the restriction on his limbs fade. Whatever was compelling him to respond loosens its grip on his tongue and disappears. 

He doesn’t move. “Why the interrogation?”

Aqua looks down. “I don’t trust the Navy.” She picks up her tea. “I promise, I won’t use magic on you again.”

“Is that what that was?”

“Yes.” She looks up at him and her eyes are different. Still colored blue, but the pupils are now slits. Definitely not human. “It’s merfolk magic.”

He stares, and then her eyes are normal again. “So why tell me?”

The ship groans.

She finishes her cup. “Guilt, I guess. Perhaps sympathy. I forced you to share your truths, an exchange is only fair.”

Aqua stands up. “Feel free to have some more tea.”

_

Riku is sitting alone in the galley when Kairi wanders in. 

“Hey,” She says cautiously.

He looks up, trying to shake off his mood. He’s not quite sure how long he has been sitting here since Aqua left. The light from the outside is brighter.

Riku does a double take at the mess of hair on her head. It’s godawful. “Good afternoon, Kairi,” he says with a smile.

“Oh hush, it’s still morning. Maybe.”

He laughs as she settles in next to him. “Thank you for fixing my ribbon. That was very kind of you.”

She pushes her shoulder against his, “I have to put my princessy etiquette lessons to good use somehow.”

Her response gets a laugh out of him. “I guess you don’t like rules of the court too much?”

Her gaze is flat. “Fuck the court.”

Riku snorts, the two of them collapsing into laughter. 

Once calm enough, he points to the mess on her head. “Would you like me to see if I could fix that for you?”

“Please, If you would be so kind, good sir.” Her banter is light as she turns away from him. 

They both end up straddling the bench while Riku hunts through her hair for all the pins she fell asleep with. 

He speaks up again after a moment. “I spoke with Aqua this morning.”

“Oh?”

“She figured out I was from the Navy.”

“Oh,” she says as he pulls another pin from her hair. “How could she tell?”

“A truth spell.”

“What? That exists?”

“I suppose.”

Kairi is quiet for a moment. “Politicians everywhere must hate her.”

Riku snorts again. “You have a sense of humor, don’t you?” 

She shrugs. “You have to poke fun at some situations, otherwise you’ll stress yourself to death.” She takes a deep breath, “Okay so, no lying. Got it.”

It’s quiet while he continues to work. Her hair is still somewhat in tangles, but nearly all down when she speaks again at a whisper. _“What about your medallion?”_

_“No questions were asked, but who knows how long that will last for.”_

_“Where is it now?”_

_“My pocket.”_

She’s quiet. “Are you serious?” she says after a moment.

Riku stops his work on her hair. “What?”

Kairi turns around and hisses, _“You put an ancient relic in your pants pocket?”_

Riku feels vaguely embarrassed. _“Where else would I put it that's not visible?”_

_“Did you try your shoe?”_

He vehemently whispers, _“Absolutely not.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“I’m not summoning the powers of darkness from my shoe.”_

They stare at each other in silence for a moment.

 _“You’re right, that sounds incredibly ridiculous,”_ she says.

Riku sighs.

Kairi looks up, then stops. “Oh.”

Riku looks up and sees nothing. “What?”

She reaches across the table, grabbing the box of sewing supplies. 

“I have an idea.”

_

Kairi is admiring the over the shoulder braid Riku did for her as Xion runs into the galley. 

She’s holding Riku’s sword in hand, another strapped to her own waist.

Her expression is hard. “Princess, go hide below deck.”

The two of them immediately stand. 

Kairi's voice is filled with apprehension. “What’s wrong?”

“I spotted a ship in the distance. One that we know belongs to the Thirteenth Fleet.”

Kairi goes pale. Riku tightens his hair ribbon once more.

“What about that invisible barrier around the ship?” he asks.

“It should keep us safe, but this is just a precaution.”

Xion looks at Riku. “If it comes down to it, will you join us in the fight?”

Riku wants his sword back, so he holds out his hand. “Count me in.”

She looks relieved, he feels a twinge of guilt, and gives him back the sword. Riku quickly goes through the motions and straps the scabbard to his waist as Xion leads them out the room. 

She offers a hand out to Kairi. “I’ll show you where to hide, don’t come out until we give the all clear, okay.” 

Kairi looks over to Riku. He nods in what he hopes is a reassuring way. She nods back to him and takes Xion’s hand, who looks back to Riku.

“The others are on deck.” Then she’s quickly leading Kairi away.

The sun is blindingly bright when he steps out.

Riku glances around, no one is on the surface level, then makes his way up the stairs to the wheel. Sora and Aqua are there. Sora has a white knuckle grip on the wheel. Aqua is looking at a ship sailing by in the distance through a long monocular at the railing, her trident rests on it beside her.

He hadn’t gotten a good look at the Trident yesterday, but even an untrained eye can tell that it is no ordinary weapon. If Riku were a betting man like Admiral Leonhart, he would wager his entire savings that it was a powerful relic. The trident looks as if it was made of cresting waves cast in metal. It has an icy blue color, yet the tips of three prongs forming the points look closer to white than the rest of the trident. A deep blue star is inlaid just below where the bases of the prongs meet.

A cough pries his eyes away from it. Sora gives him a quick once over.

“I see Xion found you.” Riku nods. The atmosphere is awkward at best.

Sora gives a pointed look to the sword strapped to Riku. There’s a teasing smile. “I sure hope you know how to use that thing.” 

Riku frowns. “We used to spar all the time.”

The smile falls. Sora looks away and clears his throat as Aqua lowers the looking-glass with a frown.

“I know we have seen this ship with the Thirteenth main ships before. I don’t think we specifically have encountered it. But I can’t place whose it is.”

Riku walks over to her. She stares at him for a moment, seeming conflicted, before it looks like she makes up her mind and hands the monocular to him.

“Do you recognize it?” He brings it up to eye level. Riku adjusts it. His breath leaves him. “Shit.” He knows that ship. 

It’s a destroyer class vessel that the Navy uses specifically for hunting pirates. Even far away, the ship makes _Oblivion_ look like a rowboat, and as fast as she was, getting out of range of a destroyer’s cannons range is nearly impossible. There are only three Admirals in the navy that use this type of ship. The insignia flying on the second flag below the Navy's own flag tells him just whose it is.

“So, you do recognize it?” Aqua presses.

He hands the device back to her. He doesn't like this.

The only person Riku is willing to trust with all his being right now is Kairi, and she can’t help him make this choice. He could jump ship, or he could get the Navy’s attention and let this be the end of that. Only, Riku isn’t so sure now that this is the best choice.

Ansem had only referred to Sora as Riku’s dear friend in private. No one else would know that. Except Luxord had. He had tried to bait Riku into his schemes with empty promises and manipulation. If Ansem is really working with the Thirteen, then who knows who else was recruited too. There might be others from the Navy working for the pirates. Even Admirals. 

These pirates had saved Riku and Kairi, only asked for their cooperation and had promised to explain the situation. Sure, one of them had placed him under a truth spell, but given the circumstances and how that had played out, he understood the reasons for it. Can’t exactly trust the Navy given the evidence.

There was also the fact that another pirate is his former best friend who no longer recognized even his name and-- okay, that’s a problem to unpack for later. But the Sora Riku had known... he knew a good person from a bad one. And he had placed his trust in Aqua and Xion.

Right now, Riku and Kairi’s best bet at survival was not with the military Riku had placed his trust in. It was with the pirates.

Riku steels his resolve. “Are you sure that ship is part of the Thirteen?”

Aqua nods. “I’d bet all my magic on it.”

“Well,” Riku takes a deep breath. “If we get boarded or spotted, this ship is as good as gone.”

Sora squawks, “What!? Why?”

“That ship is the _Taciturn Stalwart_. It belongs to Admiral Aeleus, who holds the Navy’s record for sinking and breaking ships.”

Xion runs up the stairs while Sora stares at him. “Breaking ships,” he repeats.

“Yes.”

“ _Breaking_ a fucking ship?”

“That’s what I said.”

“W-wha-- That doesn’t even make sense!”

Riku shrugs and says, “He boards the ship then uses his relic and breaks it in half.”

The _Oblivion_ rocks on the waves.

Xion sucks in a breath. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” Riku says as he takes a deep breath himself. “Shit.”

Sora looks frustrated, “What exactly is this guy’s relic?”

“It’s an axe, a relic called The Ends of Earth- ”

A _crack_ cuts him off as the monocular hits the deck. 

Aqua stares at Riku. “What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about anything in the fic that hasn't been addressed yet, (i.e. world building, Merfolk stuff, how the hell I'm translating the worlds within the game of KH into this AU), or just wanna yell with me about kingdom hearts, feel free to @ me on twitter at @Checkers_XIV


	3. The Thirteenth Struggle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is hatched, sacrifices are made, and Riku learns that not everyone is in control of their own actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO, I'M SO SORRY THIS IS 4 MONTHS LATE.
> 
> Had a lot going on, but here's to hoping for regular updates again!

Riku watches in shock as Aqua goes tense. Her eyes revert to amphibian, small blue scales appearing around them. Her ears begin to grow webbing out from the tip. The air around her seems charged as Sora and Xion both go a little pale. Then he realizes that it _is_ charged, he can see sparks of raw magic gathering around Aqua.

Riku regrets speaking.

Xion is there, suddenly standing in between Riku and Aqua.

“Aqua, please,” she pleads. “Stay calm. We can’t plan our next move if you go full Siren.”

Aqua looks right at Riku. “Why does he have that Relic?” Her voice is barely controlled.

_How the hell should he know??_

“He has had it as long as I’ve known him.” Riku is pretty sure his fear is tangible in that sentence. If not, by the sweat that’s begun to gather on his brow.

Aqua closes her eyes. Riku notices her teeth are much sharper. She takes a moment to breathe in, then out.

She repeats this, then does it again, and again. Slowly, the magic starts to fade from the air. Then she speaks.

“So. For eight years at least?”

Riku nods, despite her eyes still being closed. “At least, yes.” 

Aqua inhales again, opening her eyes on the exhale. Her ears go back to normal. The scales and eyes stay. 

Things are silent for a moment. Then Aqua looks over at Sora.

“I’m going after him.” Xion and Sora are immediately tense. “This is my one lead—” her voice breaks, “I need to, I have to go after him.” 

Aqua takes a deep breath to try and steady herself, but all Riku hears is the tears choking her throat. “I _need_ to find Terra.”

Riku goes cold. 

He _knows_ that tone.

He knows that desperation—it's the one he’s felt every day for the past ten years. He recalls the moment back in the galley when he had said that he had been looking for Sora since the day he went missing. The look of sorrow on her face; it wasn't pitying. 

It was empathy.

Aqua had said she told him her secret out of sympathy. Fairness. She knew the isolation, that fear, that panic—that Riku was all too accustomed to herself. Aqua had lost someone too and was still looking for them. 

She says the name Terra the same way Riku had thought Sora’s.

Aqua keeps going, “Sora, I won’t ask you to jeopardize your ship. You don’t have to stay in the area. But I have to do this.”

Sora frowns. “We aren’t going to leave you by yourself to fight this guy, Aqua.”

“You need to get the princess out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you.” He crosses his arms. 

Aqua shakes her head. “Once I leave the ship, the barrier goes. You’ll be vulnerable—”

Xion steps forward, “I can keep it going for fifteen minutes.”

“That’s not enough time!” Aqua begins to pace.“It’s not enough time for me to fight everything on that ship and—” She stops, sighing. “Sora, you need to steer _Oblivion_ away from here. They can’t get Kairi.”

“I’ll go.” Riku speaks before he knows what he’s saying.

Everyone turns to Riku.

“I’ll go with you, Aqua.”

Xion frowns. Sora stares at him. 

Aqua hesitates. “I can’t ask—”

“You’re not. I’m volunteering.” Riku glances at Xion, then Sora. “Xion asked me if would stand with you. I am.”

Aqua looks at him. “Riku...”

They lock eyes. Something passes between them, a moment of understanding.

“Let me help you find your friend.”

Aqua blinks, her eyes fully human again. A watery laugh escapes from her. “I misjudged you, Riku.”

He smiles. “You’re not the first.” 

Sora walks to the railing and picks up the trident, “So, we have... what, fifteen minutes? Kinda? To like--well, I mean--you get there, get some answers, and come back?” He holds it out to Aqua. “Sounds like our usual kind of mission.”

Sora grins, but his eyes are sharp. “You got this.”

_

They work out the finer details of the plan in record time. The _Taciturn Stalwart_ is not the fastest ship Riku has seen; it can only go 22 knots at full speed. The _Oblivion_ , Sora assures, can easily go twice that speed in spite of its age, but _Stalwart_ is still a destroyer class vessel; its long-range cannons could take out Oblivion regardless of distance. Speed or no, getting out of its range in time would be near impossible 

Sora makes the decision to get close enough, 10 miles out, then turn the ship around and sail full speed away, with Xion maintaining cover. As they sail closer to the ship, Aqua and Riku work out their own plan. Riku, for his part, still can’t believe that she’s even willing to let him watch his back. Aqua hasn’t stopped moving—fidgeting—since she pulled him aside to discuss their plan of attack. She’s wringing her hands, tugging at the bangles, pushing up her sleeves, pulling them back down. 

Riku does his best to focus.

It's a fast plan, shoddily put together with tons of room for error, but it’s all they’ve got. Once close enough, the two of them will then literally jump ship, at which point Aqua will use the water to propel herself and Riku to a safe spot on the other ship. It will hopefully throw off any chances of pursuit, assuming _Oblivion_ stays concealed the whole time. Riku will work to take out the ship's guns, as a precaution, while Aqua confronts the admiral and gets the information she wants. They then meet up at the bow and jump ship again.

It’s a plan, alright. It’s not a good one.

Riku hasn’t felt this alive in _years_.

There’s just one hitch.

“You don’t have a relic to fight back with, Riku.”

Riku looks away from Xion. So much for keeping it hidden. “About that—”

“Oh my god.”

Sora gapes. “No... you don’t?” 

Aqua hands go to her hips. “You have a relic, don’t you Riku?” 

He can feel himself sweating. Riku really hopes this blind faith thing pays off.

“I do.”

“I knew it!” Sora grins, pointing at Riku. “There’s no way a normal guy could have lasted that long against Luxord.” Aqua and Xion ignore Sora. 

“Well,” Aqua raises a brow. “Do you have it on you?” Riku points to his hair tie.

Sora squints. “Your relic is the ribbon? That doesn’t make sense.”

Xion closes her eyes. Aqua sighs.

Riku just stares at him. “It’s hidden in the ribbon.”

There’s a beat and Riku can tell the moment it clicks; Sora’s expression clearing up.

Aqua claps her hands. “Okay. Now that this is settled.” She looks at Riku and hefts her trident. “Brightcrest allows me to amplify my magic. Once we’re in the water, grab onto me and don’t let go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She nods. “Well, time to abandon ship.”

_

Riku had expected to encounter other people on the ship who he might have known in the barracks and trained with. Instead, he finds it crawling with more monsters, _Nobodies,_ Aqua had supplied. If that didn’t solidify that Aeleus was working with the enemy, then nothing else would have. In a way, he’s relieved; he doesn’t have to cross swords with anyone screaming ‘traitor’ at him.

Quietly, the two of them make their way along the edges of the cargo bay, sneaking past the occasional Nobody. Their goal is to keep moving towards the door that leads to the interior of the ship. Riku tries his hand at unlocking the door, it swings open without much resistance. Then two of them exchange one last nod before slipping in.

Riku is willing to bet that they have about thirteen minutes left until Xion can no longer hold the barrier. They need to move fast.

Riku knows his way around a naval vessel. He's about to direct Aqua on the best route to take to the control room. Except it seems like she doesn’t need it. Aqua is already gone, taking off in the direction he would have pointed out to her. 

He decides to leave her to it. Time isn’t on their side.

Riku flies through the hallways of the huge ship, peeking around corners, and efficiently trying to make his way to the main cannon room. He can see the doors to the cannon level at the end of the next hall. Now all he needs to do is—

His feet tumble out from under him as a resounding blast shakes the ship. A curse slips out as he tries to get back onto his feet to see a Nobody lung at him from the rafters. Riku forgoes standing to roll to his right. There’s a deafening crack as it hits the wooden floor where he had been a mere second ago. Dark magic gathers in his left palm as Riku pushes himself up into a kneeling position with his right hand. He throws it with a punch—the darkness collides with the Nobody, killing it. 

Then three more appear at the end of the hall he just came from.

_Shit._

“Shit,” he says.

Riku pushes himself off the floor, foregoing stealth for speed as he tries to make it to the cannon room. He flings the door open and then slams it shut behind him. 

There are ten other Nobodies in the room. They’re all staring at him. 

“Uh—”

The two closest to him immediately lunge for him. Riku knocks one back with a blast from his palm as he quickly draws his sword from its sheath. Black fire runs down the length of the blade. With a pierce and a slash, the two Nobodies closest to him meet the steel of his blade. They disintegrate into dust as the previous ones did.

The eight remaining Nobodies jerk in place, then six of them move forward to him. Two slither towards him like snakes in the air, two rush him straight forward, and another two invert themselves, walking on the ceiling. They begin creeping his way, while the final two hang back observing.

Riku quickly makes to parry the two charging him, pushing them both back with a strike from his sword. They deflect any serious damage with their angular arms. The slithering one on the ground whips its body around in a way that has Riku’s own back aching, trying to stab him with its pointed feet. He jumps to the side to avoid the hit, taking the opportunity to slash at the other slithering nobody. This one catches on fire as he deals the hit; it writhes for a moment as the darkness burns at it until it dissolves. 

The remaining ones stop for a moment, their heads jerking as their mouths unzip to hiss at him.

It’s really fucking creepy.

Not as creepy as the two Nobodies who hung back. Their mouths begin to unzip as the others did. Only the zipper just keeps going, the two bodies unwinding all the way. Then the two somehow merge together, the animated cloth zipping up on the other teeth. 

Riku stops paying attention to the grotesque scene as the normal Nobodies begin their attacks again.

They try to flank him, corner him against the door that is rattling as the other Nobodies he led off in the hall trying to force their way in. He stabs one right in its mouth with his sword and then flings its now flaming body into the others. There’s a series of frantic writhing and twitches that he tries very hard not to look at they all tumble into a flaming pile. An ear-splitting screech catches Riku’s attention.

It makes his ears ache and as the Nobodies all completely stop. They contort in a way different from before as if something is pulling them apart at their seams.

It’s only for a moment, but it’s long enough for the ones Riku had thrown together to get piled up, the hesitation causing the mass to catch fire. They burn to ash quickly after that. 

But the screech that caused the delay means nothing to the two that have now finished becoming one huge monster. It hunches over on itself, a terrible thing. Its long arms are wide--layered and flat but with spikes protruding from them, and its skinny legs-

It disappears into the ground. 

Riku loses track of it as he frantically looks around him. He makes his way further into the room and there’s no sign of the monster anywhere. The only sounds he can make out are the increasing bangs on the door into the room; it makes the violent thumping of his own heartbeat sound dull. 

Then Riku feels the air move behind him.

He whips around on the balls of his feet to see the nobody with its arms reared back, poised like an assassin, about to strike at him. It’s his own ingrained training that saves his life as he brings his blade up as fast he can to block the attack. The Nobody clearly doesn't expect to be blocked as its whole body shudders at the moment it hits the flat of Riku’s sword.

It staggers back, stunned, and Riku doesn’t hesitate. With a yell, he deals it a combo of slashes from his sword. At the last hit, he sends it sliding back a couple of feet. It knocks into two wooden barrels near a cannon. The Nobody looks worse for wear; the slash marks on it are licked with black flames, but the damn thing is still alive. 

Then the Nobody begins to glow in a faint silver light. Riku uses his spare hand to throw a fireball at it, to finish the monster before it gets the chance to do whatever the hell it’s trying. It does nothing to the Nobody, the flames sputtering out on contact. 

Panic beings to constrict Riku’s throat. The Nobody sticks one of its arms into one of the barrels for just a moment, then starts dragging itself closer, black sand now leaking from the seams on its body. Riku takes several steps back, never breaking eye contact. Then the light starts to pulse, it picks up speed alternating between its bright glow and dimming. Almost like a timer, kinda like—

Riku’s breath catches. That’s not sand. 

They’re in the cannon bay. That’s not sand—it’s _gunpowder_.

It turned itself into a bomb.

He has a moment of clarity in the midst of freaking out— _It’s going to fucking **explode** —_that, wait a damn second, he can use this. He eyes the support pillar in the room.

This can be good. 

He counts the pulses, seeing that they’re getting faster, and then lunges for the Nobody. Extending his arm, Riku grabs onto the support pillar. He uses his momentum to deliver the monster a swift but strong roundhouse kick to the chest that sends it flying back. He swings around the pillar once then drops to the ground. The Nobody goes soaring right towards the back of the bay.

Then it explodes. 

Riku has a split second to feel triumph. 

There’s a sudden _boom_ as barrels of gunpowder closest to the explosion erupt into flames. It starts a chain reaction of down the lines of cannons along either of the ship. 

It’s actually better than he hoped for. 

Then Riku realizes that the explosions and the fire—you know, they’re getting really close to him. 

Riku books it to the door.

He doesn’t bother to look back as he sprints down the room. He thinks he hears himself cursing but then the door breaks open. A few Nobodies lunge into the room as Riku ignores them, sprinting right past two of them. One charges right for him, Riku braces himself but keeps running. He body checks it into the wall outside the hall before he picks himself up and keeps running, leaping up some stairs as the heat of the explosions chase him down the hall. 

There’s a lot of cracking that doesn’t sound very good _at all_ before he hears an even louder, albeit delayed, explosion.

Riku throws open the nearest doorway, slamming it shut behind him. He feels the door heat up and quickly steps away from it. There are flames shooting down the hall, visible from the glass porthole in the door which suddenly cracks from the heat.

It’s the only warning he gets before the door itself is suddenly on fire.

Riku backs into the room and takes a quick stock of his situation. 

Disable the cannons? Check.

Get trapped in the—he glances around—mess hall? Okay.

Get off of the now burning ship? Easier said than done.

It’s a rather large galley, but considering the size of the ship, it’s not surprising. There’s a door opposite of the one he just came though, on the other end of the hall. A way out, hopefully. What is surprising, is the sudden cracking and terrifying groans that Riku knows will haunt him in his nightmares. That’s definitely the sounds of the ship sinking. 

Then a cannonball shoots up from the floor of the room. 

Right... he blew up the cannon room below, so it makes sense that they would be propelled by the explosion from the floor below too.

Another two shoot up from behind Riku and he’s stopped thinking, he’s running again, he’s sprinting to the door that will hopefully lead him from the mess hall to the hall that connects to the outside of the ship. 

Riku throws open the door and is greeted by the sight of stairs going up.

Oh, thank god.

He sprints up as the ship begins to groan. He makes it to the hall and _there_ , that third door down, should lead him off to the starboard side where the life rafts are. Then the whole ship lurches. He can feel it slowly tipping, the floor in front of him turning into an incline as he starts to slip back.

Riku is really tired of being on sinking ships. He pushes himself to make it to the door; he's still got some energy, but not that much.

He’s got a grip on the handle when there’s more cracking and snapping and—Riku can hear the water. The hull has been breached. He can smell the smoke. 

Riku throws open the door hard enough that it smacks into the outer wall and stays there. Or that might have something to do with how the boat is tipping even more and—oh, what do you know? He’s actually now standing on the wall because the ship is now capsizing sideways.

Awesome.

These are the sounds of glass shattering as something, or _someone_ , in black clothes, goes flying out of what used to be the higher windows of the wheelhouse. The black cloth- no, cloak- lands with a sickening thud, hard enough to crack wall Riku is standing on. Someone else pulls up and onto the same level.

Aqua steadies herself out of the hole and Riku realizes with a start that the person who hit the deck was Admiral Aeleus, in a black coat similar to Luxord’s.

She is standing further to his left while Aeleus struggles to stand up on his right. Both of them are breathing heavily. There’s some blood running down the side of Aqua’s face that Riku can see. Her shirt is nicked and sliced, but she holds herself strong with her trident poised to strike. Aeleus is now crouching, leaning heavily on his axe for stability. His breathing is labored and dominant arm looks off until Riku registers that it’s actually broken.

Aeleus glares Aqua’s away, Riku can see the tangible magic coming off the axe as the admiral prepares an attack. Aqua’s own magic, strikingly pink, surrounds her as she braces herself.

Aeleus notices Riku.

His magic suddenly stops. Riku feels his own breath catch. His own sword is still in hand as he adopts a defensive position, the black flames dancing along the blade.

They stare at each other.

"You're still alive," Aeleus says, breaking the silence.

Riku grips his sword harder. “Surprised?”

“Were you marked?” Aeleus’s expression is becoming tight with each passing second.

Riku hesitates. It almost sounds like concern. He frowns, “What do you mean?” He wasn’t hurt in the fight with Luxord. Aeleus ignores Aqua as she slowly stalks closer to him.

“Were you marked with an X?” Aeleus repeats.

Riku hesitants, thinking back on it.

“No, no I wasn’t.”

Aeleus’s hand slips off the axe and Aqua stops, startled. The admiral’s tight expression relaxes. He lets out a deep sigh. 

“Then,” Aeleus licks his lips, “I am relieved that you’re still alive, Riku.”

Riku and Aqua exchange a look. The admiral watches them. 

He looks back to Riku. “You seem to have found yourself with good company. I hope you survive the coming days.”

“That sounds like a threat,” Riku narrows his eyes.

“It is a warning. The leader of the Thirteenth Fleet is already aware of Luxord’s demise. He assumes that you meet the same fate aboard the _Gambler_. He can’t hunt down a dead man.”

Before Riku can process his words, Aeleus addresses Aqua.

“Xehanort will continue to hunt down the princess.”

The ship lurches as it sinks lower. 

“Why so chatty now? You weren’t willing to say anything before,” Aqua glares at him.

“That was before I had hope.” He looks over at Riku, “Not all of us joined the fleet willingly.”

Riku blinks.

“You asked if I was marked—” 

“It’s a dark magic that manipulates free will. I had no choice. That is no longer the case.” The admiral slowly raises the broken arm. He tears the remains of his sleeve off, revealing a thick black X visible on his forearm. Only, there is now a deep, bloody cut splitting the X down the middle. “Xehanort will come this way soon. He may no longer be able to control me, but he can still track me down. No matter where I go, he’ll come for me. I know too much. You need to get out of the area while you can.” The admiral pauses then looks back to Aqua.

“You want this axe back, don’t you, Admiral Aqua?”

Riku can feel his eyes go comically wide. Okay, sure, there were hints that she definitely used to be part of the Navy. She knew her way around the specially made ships, the rankings, and such. ex-Navy, he had assumed... but an admiral? 

He’s surprised he’s never heard about this. News of an admiral going rogue doesn’t just get silenced. They usually turn infamous, everyone in all the kingdoms being made aware of a traitor and the outrageous reward for turning them in. The tale of Marluxia and his vice admiral’s defection to pirate life was a dark stain on the Navy’s history. The fact that Aqua remained anonymous or was even struck from the record is probably something that could upset the Navy’s power.

Aqua draws back Riku’s attention. “Can you tell me anything, anything about Terra?”

Aeleus frowns again, “He’s alive, but I don’t know where he is. Only that Ansem had difficulties with him.”

Aqua inhales sharply at the news. 

Riku looks at the man in front of him. An honored navy admiral, being manipulated into joining the ranks of pirates? He could have easily been in his place had Sora and the others not shown up when they did.

The ship teeters dangerously, causing Aqua and Riku to stumble.

Aeleus is still looking at Aqua. “I cannot hope to swim with a broken arm. I’m... I don’t deserve a quick death, but I’d still like to ask.”

Riku’s heart plummets. 

“Wait—”

A broken man looks back at Riku, “Xehanort can track me. I’m already marked. Let me make one last choice.”

Aqua puts her trident on her back. 

She looks over at Riku, her gaze sad. Riku turns around, he can’t be here for this.

Aeleus calls his name one last time, and Riku stops.

“May your heart be your guiding key.”

Riku stands there for a moment longer before he dives off the wreckage of a dead man’s ship.

_

Xion pulls Riku and Aqua up from the ocean with her water arm extensions, gently depositing them onto the deck of Oblivion.

It’s quiet, despite Aqua having an axe strapped to her back. Neither she or Riku are especially cheerful.

Aqua silently walks over to the mainmast, placing her hand on it. The barrier around the ship ripples for a moment before stabilizing. Sora is eyeing the two of them from his position at the wheel. 

Xion clears her throat.

“I’ll retrieve the princess.” Then she’s gone below deck.

Aqua takes both weapons off her back, leaning them side by side on the railing of the ship. Riku makes his way to the steps that lead up to the wheel deck and sits on them. It’s quiet for a moment before Kairi comes thundering through the doorway. 

She pauses, looking at Aqua then Riku. Riku gives a short wave and a tired smile. Kairi sags with relief.

“Oh thank god, no one’s dead.”

Both Aqua and Riku wince. Kairi stops and looks between the two of them. Riku hears a sigh from behind him.

“Well,” Sora starts. “We’re all here, mind sharing what exactly happened?”

Riku goes first, sharing his details of the fight with the Nobodies in a much more abridged fashion. He is stopped when he gets to the part about the screech that halted the attacks. Aqua explains that a siren’s wail can stun their enemies, as she had been mid-fight with the admiral at the time.

She takes over from there, explaining about her fight with the admiral. The facts he’s shared to them is vital: the tracking, loss of free will, and then him asking for a mercy kill. She ends it by explaining that he had no real information on Terra but—

“He’s alive,” she says staring at the axe. “That’s more than I knew thirty minutes ago. I’ll take it.”

The princess stares at the deck, despondent. Riku puts a hand on her shoulder. She leans into it a little. Then a lot, curling in on herself as Riku curls over her, protective.

“He was my guard when I was little.” Her voice is quiet.

No one says anything.

“Aeleus, he used to play puzzles with me, in the gardens. He and another guard, Dilan looked out for me, for years. Then with the treaty... they left for the Navy.”

Riku licks his lips, “He... for a time I was assigned to his ship. I had been obsessed with getting stronger, physically like him. Admiral Aeleus taught me that muscle alone isn’t strength-”’

“It’s also mind and heart.” Kairi finishes. She looks up at him, eyes watery.

“He said something to me, just before...”

“What was it?”

“May your heart be your guiding key.”

 

Kairi smiles, just for a moment. Then she sobs into Riku’s shoulder, and he holds her there, his own tears quietly falling.

The crew of the _Oblivion_ lets them have a moment, before Aqua approaches the steps they’re sitting at.

She kneels before them, remorse clear on her face. But, before she can say anything, Kairi holds up a hand. She looks up from Riku’s shoulder, not bothering to wipe away her tears.

“Thank you,” she manages. “For saving him.”

_

The next morning is a familiar scene, but different. 

Riku and Aqua sit across from each other at the table, each drinking a warm glass of pine needle tea. There’s a plate of nut-filled muffins Aqua had baked sitting between them. They eat quietly, as the ship rocks on the open ocean. They had anchored off that night in some shallow reefs, but nothing was in the area for days at least.

The door to the galley opens, and Kairi tumbles in, mumbling something unintelligible followed by the word _food_. Aqua gets up to pour some tea for her as the princess slides into the bench next to Riku. She grabs a muffin, taking a very unladylike bite from it, crumbs sticking to the side of her mouth. Her cheeks bulge a bit as she chews. 

Riku pokes her cheek.

She swats his hand down. He laughs, Aqua arriving back to the table with a cup of tea.

“Princess—”

“Kairi,” both Kairi and Riku say at once, yet she says her around a mouthful of food.

“Kairi. How did you sleep last night?”

“I think I started snoring at one point.”

“You definitely did,” Riku says as he swirls his tea.

“So I think I slept pretty well.”

Aqua laughs, “I’m glad to hear that. I recognize that a ship’s cabin isn’t the same level of comfort as a royal vessel.”

“No, it’s much better.”

Aqua blinks.

“It is?”

“Aqua, I’m not particularly happy being royalty. It’s caused me nothing but trouble and endangered a lot of people. Hurt plenty of them, even got some people killed. Living here on this ship allowed me to momentarily forget this. But this is not a world in which I can always depend on others. So yes, I’m very comfortable.”

Riku takes a very long sip of his tea.

“Sorry,” Kiari deflates. “I’m still upset about... well everything. I don’t even know why I’m being targeted, but people just keep getting hurt because of me.”

“Well,” Aqua tucks a hair behind her ear. “To be frank, we aren’t sure why you’re being targeted either. Just that it wouldn’t be good. Another crewmate of ours has a hunch, but she will confirm it once we regroup.”

Kairi nods, “Alright.”

“Also, I was planning on making this offer only to Riku—” Riku sits up a little straighter, “But in light of your own frustrations, I would like to offer some combat training to both of you.”

Kairi immediately stands up, the bench Riku’s sitting on jerking slightly. 

“I get to learn how to fight?”

“Properly, yes.”

“With a trident?”

“Let’s stick with swordplay for now.”

Kairi has stars in her eyes.

“I’ll go put on pants!” She all but runs from the room, Aqua smiling fondly at her back.

“Riku,” she starts, “I have a feeling you’re very competent with a sword. So my offer for training with you will be based on your bond with your relic.”

Riku’s eyebrows shoot up. “We can bond with relics?”

Aqua laughs kindly. “Well, now I know where to start.”

_

Kairi’s training starts with Aqua that morning on the deck. Riku’s actually starts with Xion in the crow’s nest. 

From below Riku can hear Aqua instructing Kairi on basic drills. Kairi says nothing most of the time except for “Once more!” and “Yes, Master Aqua!” Sora’s voice occasionally echoes out a compliment or a tip.

Xion and Riku sit back to back, each keeping an eye on the horizon under the shade of an umbrella that’s somehow been jerrigged to the mast they’re on so it covers the entirety of the lookout area.

Xion’s voice is soothing, as she explains the capabilities of Relics that Riku knows his friend Zexion would probably die to know.

He’s had the thought before if more people he knew were secretly part of the Thirteenth Flee, against their will or voluntarily. Riku would like to think that Zexion wasn’t part of it. After all, the only reason he survived the first fight with Luxord is because his friend had allowed him access to all the abilities the research lab had found. Luxord had even shouted he shouldn’t have known how to perform them. Which means either Zexion had shared the knowledge with the enemy, or Ansem himself had given away the top-secret data. Neither thought was comforting, but he knew which outcome he preferred.

Riku pushes the line of thought from his mind, focusing back on Xion’s voice.

She explains that the magic within relics is born from emotions and trust. The more you trust your relic, the better connection you still have with it. It’s this bond that allows for versatile actions and stronger magics. 

“Naming a relic is the start of a good bond.” Xion says this in a ‘matter-of-fact’ tone.

“Aqua called hers Brightcrest.”

“Yes, initially her relic was just that star-shaped pendant that you see inlaid in it. Once a bond is strong enough, the relic can transform from the item it starts as into a true relic, a weapon that reflects the heart of the one that wields it.”

Riku lets out a low, impressed whistle.

He feels Xion laugh against his back.

“So is it your relic one that lets you control water?”

He gets back an affirmative hum. There’s some rustling, then hears something jangle beside his head. A turn reveals her holding out a seashell on a silver chain. She wiggles it again and Riku takes the hint to grab it. The shell is simple looking, but it’s the color that stands out to him. It seems to be naturally ombre from a pale yellow to a vivid blue.

“I’ve started calling her Leviathan. She seems to like it.”

The moment Xion says the name, he can feel a hum of magic from the shell. It’s gentle and cool, like the surf trailing up the sand of the beach. It retreats a moment later, then he hands the bracelet back to her.

“I think it’s very fitting.”

“Thanks, Riku.”

He thinks for a moment, then reaches up to take down his hair. Once undone, it cascades down his back.

Xion sputters a second later and Riku belatedly realizes that since they’re sitting back to back, he just dumped his hair on her. He quickly leans forward, to get it off her. Embarrassment colors his face. 

“I’m _so sorry_ about that.”

Xion laughs, and he turns to see her literally shrugging it off. “It’s fine, just startled me is all!”

He fiddles with the ribbon in hand for second before passing the coin tucked away in it to Xion.

“I don’t have a name for it yet.”

Xion hums, turning the coin over in her hands. “So how do you call forth the magic within?”

“I ask it.”

“Ask it? How?”

“Something like, ‘lend me your strength’ or so?”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. Had you displayed weakness, the relic would have probably rejected you. But from what you’ve told us, it’s accepted the start of your bond with it.”

“So, how would it have rejected me?”

“Eh, let’s just leave it at ‘Badly.’”

That makes him feel better.

“Well,” Xion hands the coin back to him. “I say the bond you’ve started has a pretty solid foundation. I’m glad about that, it’ll make your training with it a whole lot easier.”

Riku accepts the coin back, eyeing it. “What about a name?”

“I can’t help you there, it’ll weaken the bond. It’s gotta be something from your heart.”

He tosses the coin, then catches it. _From the heart, huh._

“Xion, can I ask you about merfolk?”

“Sure!”

“Are you one too?”

“Yup! Aqua trained me once she joined our crew, so I’ve gotten good at basic Siren stuff.”

“You said that before, what exactly is a Siren?”

Xion then enthusiastically launches into a lecture about merfolk culture. Riku listens to the entire thing enraptured. He learns that merfolk are categorized into two species: Sirens and Merrows. Xion and Aqua belong to the former category. Sirens are more solitary, a warrior race, that normally lives in deeper waters and have long since cut off contact with humans. She mentions that Sirens need a trinket of sorts to grant them human legs, this typically is the what Sirens adopt as their relic as well. Without it, they cannot walk on land. Siren magic is attuned to enchantments: barriers and illusions.

“I admit,” Xion sighs. “That my barriers need a lot more work. But I’m stronger with illusions as is.”

“How did you two end up on the crew if Sirens prefer to be on their own?” He feels Xion shrug rather than see it. 

“I can’t speak for Aqua, but she was alone before she asked to join us. As for me, I got saved... kinda, it’s complicated. But I didn’t really like being alone. It’s... well, it’s lonely.”

She chuckles, but the laugh is empty.

Riku gives his own hollow laugh. “You’ve got me there.”

She nudges him slightly, “I don’t want to leave my friends. They’re my family you know? That’s kinda why I stuck around.”

Riku hums to show he heard her. After a moment Xion continues on with the merfolk lecture. She goes on to explain that the Merrows are typically pacifists, who travel in pods and mingle with humans. They love to play games and sing. Those merfolk can also shift between tail and legs at will. They used to work together with humans, since their magic is attuned to the weather, to ensure safe passage on the seas.

Riku stops her there.

“I didn’t know the merfolk used to interact with humans.”

“Well, that was before most of us started going missing.”

“Missing?”

Xion sighs, “Yes. I suppose your superior covered it up or something. But something out there is damaging the magic of the sea, and merfolk who are supposed to maintain the balance of the Starry Seas are going missing.”

Riku looks at the ocean, realizing it’s been a while as the sun is past the midday point.

“Do you think it’s the Thirteenth Fleet?”

“We confirmed that it is.”

Riku looks down at the coin in his hands. “I’m sorry.”

Xion leans back against him. “For what?”

“Your loss. For being part of the problem.”

She leans a little more on him. “Riku, you were never part of the problem.”

“But—”

“Did you ever personally kill a merperson?”

“No.”

“And you fought back against Luxord, right?”

“I—yes I did.”

“Then I don’t know why you’re so convinced you need to paint yourself as a bad guy. I’ve seen plenty of them.” 

The weight disappears off his back as Xion stands up. A hand is offered to him, and he looks up at her.

She smiles, “Your heart is far from evil, Riku. It’s full of bravery.”

Riku accepts her hand.

_

After dinner, Aqua heads up to the wheel to take the night shift and a groaning Kairi drags herself to bed while Xion helps her out of the dining room. Riku realizes he's not alone.

He’s just finished drying the dishes when someone clears their throat behind him.

Sora isn’t wearing his hat, bandana, or coat. He’s standing their a little awkwardly, fiddling with his necklace.

The one Riku gave him so many years ago.

Sora looks at him, sheepish. “I was hoping we could talk.”

Riku nods and Sora takes a seat back at the bench on the table. Riku sits himself down across from him. He’s starting to think he should avoid the mess hall.

“I’m,” Sora sighs. “I’m not really sure how to tell you this.”

Riku waits.

“Riku... I don’t know you.”

The blood leaves his face. Whatever expression he’s making has Sora scrambling to keep talking.

“I think I did! I mean, Xion told me that you said we grew up together, and well, Aqua told me that when she had you under the truth spell you said it again. S-see, I know you told them, they told me. They say you’re a good person a-and they’re very good judges of character! They’re looking out for me, they’re really nice people—er, mermaids. But I mean, it’s not your fault I don’t remember! I don’t remember _anything_ from before two years ago. Like, at all. It’s kinda bad, to be honest. So, like—”

Riku holds up a hand.

Sora’s teeth snap shut with a _clack_.

Riku stares at him.

Sora slowly, quietly, brings a hand up to rub at his jaw.

The movement is so undeniably _Sora-esque_ that Riku can’t help it. He starts laughing. Then he chokes as his throat starts to close up. He starts crying.

He puts his head down on the table to hide his tears.

After a moment, there's a weight on the bench next to him. Sora waits for him to stop crying. When Riku has cried himself dry, he looks over to his side. Sora has his hands folded in his lap. He looks sad.

“I’m sorry I forgot you, Riku.”

Riku sits up and he thinks. He thinks back to Xion saying that the crew has killed members of the Thirteenth Fleet. Aqua and Xion clearly trust Sora. This Sora, the pirate captain.

“You don’t remember anything.”

Sora nods.

“So,” Riku takes a steadying breath. “That’s why you were avoiding me. And why I kept making you uncomfortable.”

Another nod.

Riku exhales. If he’s being honest with himself, he’s terrified. He’s terrified that he doesn’t know what happened to Sora over all these years. But there are little things that do stand out to him.

“I don’t know if you’re the same person I grew up with.”

Sora’s hands clench a little tighter. “Yeah-”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to get to know you.”

Sora’s head whips in his direction, his eyes wide.

“If you don’t remember me and I don’t know you... then we can start over.” He’s going to hold on to his hope, he’s going to hold on to Sora. Even if it’s different, he’s not losing this person--his best friend--again.

Sora stares at him.

“Riku...”

Riku smiles at him, brushing aside the pang in his heart when he sees the start of the joy in Sora’s. He’ll hang on to this hope and protect it as long as he lives.

He extends a hand, “I’m Riku, former captain of the Hollow Bastion Navy.”

Sora grins, taking his hand. “I’m Sora, the first vigilante of the Starry Seas.”

They shake on it.

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain Sora.”

“Back at ya, Riku.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That whole, 'I get to learn how to fight!' and 'properly' is my dig at KH3 for their entire Kairi ... thing. I'm still mad about that.


End file.
